International Education and Global Citizenship

Both the Education Studies, and International Education and Global Citizenship awards form part of the Professional Master's Programme within the School of Education and offer a mixture of theory with professional development within an international context.

Students choosing this programme aim typically to question the assumptions that lie beneath educational policy and practice and so develop a closer understanding and a broader purview of education. It raises questions such as:

• What is the nature of learning in different countries and cultures?

• What is the relationship between education and the economy?

• How is education changing as it enters the market place?

• How are education systems managed?

• Who takes decisions about the curriculum and teaching?

• How far do, or should, governments control education?

• What is the role of professional educators?

• What will be the role of schools and universities in the future?

• What is the future for education in the knowledge economy?

• Is capitalism 'instrumentalising' education?

Course Structure and Content

Both the MA Education Studies and MA International Education and Global Citizenship involve studying educational theory and practice within an international context. The modules and dissertation will be appropriate to the specialist route chosen.

Students come to us via many pathways, recently from Cyprus, the Gambia, United States, Germany, Indonesia and Japan as well as the United Kingdom. They also come from many backgrounds. Some have had Education Studies as a first degree or are teachers, while others have been marine biologists or experts in fibre optics. We welcome this diversity. All come, however, with a good first degree and a thirst to know more about education.

Teaching Methods and Assessment

Modules are taught through lectures and small group seminars. There are also individual tutorials and good opportunities for extended discussion with tutors. Analysis of ideas through discussion is key to teaching and learning in the programme. Lectures and seminars occur during the day and sometimes during early evening. There are no written exams and each module is assessed by coursework. This typically involves an essay of 2,500 words for a 15 credit module and 5,000 words for a 30 credit module. The dissertation is 15,000-20,000 words and worth 60 credits. It focuses on an area mutually agreed with a specialist tutor who also offers guidance and support in the writing of the dissertation. To achieve the award you will need 180 credits in total.

The MA takes one year with permitted extensions up to a maximum of three years.

Suitable For:

Who Can Apply?

• Prospective teachers: The UK government has recently announced that teaching will soon become a Master's level profession in England (Department for Children, Schools and Families, 2008). If your ambition is to teach in a school, then our MA is ideally suited (although it is not itself a UK teaching qualification). Some students apply for our Master's having completed their PGCE with the intention of postponing their entry to the profession, whereas others apply for the Master's before making a decision whether to become a teacher.

• Non-teachers looking for new career paths: Most of our students, however, have no intention of teaching. They are attracted by the academic nature of this award, by its habit of enabling new thinking about things that seemed like common sense, and by the prospect of improving academic skills and qualities. Many seek new career paths in educational management, training or in related fields, maybe in their non- UK home. Some wish to continue their undergraduate expertise in Education Studies and gain a broader and deeper purview of education. Others wish to gain employment in, for example, a museum or gallery setting. Others have the intention of taking their studies further, to PhD level, and finding employment in an academic institution. All are valid reasons for applying for our courses and, again, we welcome this diversity.

Requirements

Entry Requirements

Students are required to have a good Honours degree from a recognised Higher Education Institution in the UK or an equivalent degree from overseas. Equivalence of overseas students' academic qualifications is assessed by NARIC.

The content and subject matter of a student's first degree is open. In some circumstances professional work in education (e.g. PGCE) or related field can be assessed as appropriate credit for an 'assessment of prior learning' (APL) and a reduction in the number of credits required to pass the Masters can be negotiated.

For overseas applicants who are non-native speakers of English, a minimum language level of IELTS 6.5, or equivalent, is required.